Beaufort County Airports Board Thursday October 8, 2026

The Beaufort County Airports Board meeting on October 8, 2026, received updates on airport capital projects and approved a design-build contract for the Hilton Head Airport pedestrian bridge. The contract was identified in the motion as awarded to Next Construction, with a $2.43 million guaranteed maximum price; staff characterized that amount as substantially padded because design was not yet complete and said the final cost was expected to be lower. The board also approved advancing two Beaufort Executive site-work change orders, prompted by unsuitable, water-retaining soil and exceeding the 10% contingency, for subsequent County Administrator and County Council approval; no change-order amounts were stated.

Other procurement and funding updates included ongoing funding discussions with Edison Ford for the Beaufort Executive transit hangar, and design work on a separate eight-bay T-hangar and small box hangar project using ARPA funds subject to a year-end spending deadline. Beaufort Executive parallel-taxiway design is funded, but construction funding is not yet secured. At Hilton Head, staff is pursuing state aeronautics commission funding for the pedestrian bridge and awaiting a parking-lot study; the terminal project has remaining punch-list work. FY2028 capital requests had been submitted as budget preparation began. The airport layout plan and master plan stakeholder process remains on hold pending FAA clarification of required compliance items; no final airport-layout decision was reported.